More on the AB 352 Fantasyland

I wrote before about AB 352 and how stupid it is but that didn’t seem to help as the bill as passed onto the Assembly floor. As I pointed out in that previous post the technology which Assemblyman Koretz wants imbedded in semi-automatic
handguns simply does not exist. He may as well try to legislate Star Trek transporters into existence. But I covered all of that already and want to point out something else. This is from the Bill Analysis which includes some quotes from Assemblyman Koretz. He says:

“Microstamping provides an opportunity for greatly easing law
enforcement’s task in solving gun crimes and greatly reducing
the cost to state and local agencies that rely on ballistic
identification systems.

“Moreover, with microstamping, state and local law enforcement
agencies do not have to acquire or maintain costly computer
equipment or databases. Cartridge cases recovered at crime
scenes will quickly lead investigators to the guns that fired
them simply by using our current crime gun tracing system.”

I argued before that this bill would make us less safe, and I think this is the perfect example. Assemblyman Koretz actually thinks law enforcement officers won’t need computers anymore if this law passes because the cartridges collected at the scene will point directly to the gun that was used. This just goes to show he hasn’t even considered the fact that revolvers do not eject cartridge casings or that criminals, knowing the information that would be then printed on the shells, might consider picking up the shells when they leave. Reality factors aside this bill will make it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs by giving them less to work with. It’s really disturbing that our representatives are just blindly signing off on something so detrimental to the people of CA.

One Reply to “More on the AB 352 Fantasyland”

AB352 – Your analysis is incorrect. The technology provides the same ballistic idenitifcation to the CSI’s and allows for further identification of the firearm, that current methods do not allow. Specifically, make, model, date of manufacture of the firearm. I agree, serial number is not a good idea, but a tracking number linked to the the serial number is helpful. Using the same law enforcement method used by law enforcement today to find the firearm history.

For instance, the current methods determine the firearms ID by using small scrapes and dings created during the firearms discharge. However if the firearm is not recovered, there is no way to link it to a specific firearm.

In the case of AB352, the cartridge will allow law enforcement the ability to identify the firearm and track its history. This will allow them to determine time to crime (date purchased to the date it is first used in crime) as well as identify firearm distributors or straw purchasers who are supplying firearms to the criminal market.

As for picking up shell casings … there is no history of cartridge collection by criminals. Even though those cartridges are used as ballistic evidence today. As for drive by shootings and other random crime this is not an issue. As for typical domestic violence with firearms, those crimes are typically solved by other means and the people are known.

The key with this technology is to stop illegal firearms sales and to serve law enforcement with data that is useful without having to have the firearm.

The technology exists, if you own an inkjet printer, you are experiencing how the process technology is used in a high volume consumer product. The process costs $.08 / inkjet cartridge in volume manufacture.

Take into consideration that the recent rise in fuel cost added nearly $5 to the cost of shipping a single firearm to a dealer. This technology is approximatel $1.50 per firearm in the current industry volume.

The technology is applied on the current mechanisms that exist on the firearm and produce the scatches and dings curently used by law enforcement. It augments the current method, it doesn’t replace it.

As a side note, the forensic and firearms examiners all state that there is no way to plant cartridges without them identifying it. They said there is to much difference in cartridge metallurgy, gun powder types, primer types, date of manufacture and also physical evidence that will clearly identify the planted cartridges from freshly fired cartridges.

It is hard to think that someone in the heat of a gang battle would, tell themsleves , oh, wait, I got to pick up my cartridges. Or why would they care, the firearm they are shooting was purchased illegally or even stolen … but if law enforcement could get the cartridge info .. they could stop the sale of those type of firearms. Which would be helpful to the firearms industry.

As for old guns, always will be a problem. However, you should look at teh facts .. most fo the firearms collected and used in gang related and drug related crimes are 5 years old or newer. As with most things, criminal like new firearms not the old ones.

As an NRA member, in is well known the nearly >99% of exisitng firearms are own by responsible owners .. what you are stating is that these honorable owners might decide to make a dollar and sell to criminal?

As for out of state sales .. the firearms industry would implement the technology to their entire product line, it woul dnot be economically sound not to. Another point is that this allows the firearms industry to control their product, since it will require them to supply firing pins … this boosts their sales, and limits liability.